


Megatherium

by pir8grl



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:03:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5163152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pir8grl/pseuds/pir8grl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack have an encounter with a prehistoric creature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Megatherium

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Time Petals 100 prompt “Sloth.” Thank you to Lunaseemoony for informing me that Giant Ground Sloths were real, which led to the title. (Which led to me archiving this!)
> 
> *~*~*~*~*

The seconds passed with immeasurable slowness as the Doctor waited for the giant, moldy-furred creature to slink away, after he’d thoroughly irritated its eardrums with a burst from the sonic. Both his hearts seemed to freeze in his chest as he spotted what appeared to be a large bundle of rags in the spot the creature had so recently been occupying. 

“Rose!” he screamed, running towards the unmoving mass. 

As he skidded to his knees, the dark heap moved of its own accord, rolling over to reveal the dirt-smudged face of one Captain Jack Harkness, with a smaller, golden-haired figure clasped to his chest. 

“Rose?” the captain gasped. 

Both men slumped in relief as they heard weak sobs, muffled against Jack’s shirtfront. 

“Come here,” the Doctor muttered gently, as he pried Rose’s fingers from Jack’s shirt. He tilted her face to the light, carefully brushing away hair and debris and tears so he could see her eyes. “Any pain in your neck or back? Any numbness anywhere?” 

Rose shook her head ‘no’ to both inquiries. 

The Doctor sighed heavily, fighting his initial instinct, which was to clutch her to himself so tightly that nothing could ever tear her away again. Instead, he settled for standing with Rose cradled in his arms with infinite tenderness. 

“I’m fine too, thanks for asking,” Jack muttered. 

**_“You_** couldn’t get out of the way of a giant ground sloth,” the Doctor replied acidly. 

Jack opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again at the sound of a quickly muffled sniffle from Rose. They could argue all they liked, once they had her safe aboard the TARDIS.


End file.
